(The Art Barn Art Hahns Peak Village)

North Routt is feeling festive this weekend - amidst a firework show, parade, craft fair and ice cream social is Art Barn – opening again at Hahns Peak Village on Saturday and Sunday (July 1-2, 2023) from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for a pop-up show featuring 12 local artists.

The barn, found at 61125 Routt County Road 129, belongs to David Marshall, a sculptor represented in this weekend’s show. David’s permanent home and studio is in the south of Spain, but he and his wife, Dagmar, built themselves an American base in the Yampa Valley with hundreds of lodgepole pines from Dutch Creek Ranch. With the help of local artist Suzi Mitchell who started Art Barn and curated the show, David opened the space to artists, both new and seasoned, to display their work. 

(Midnight Cascade by Noah Weztel) 

The first pop-up show at the Art Barn took place last Labor Day, and Suzi says hundreds of people turned up for it. This weekend’s show features even more artists than last fall, including new artists Noah Wetzel and student artist Sophie Picking.

Any medium and any theme is welcome; Art Barn  represents an eclectic band of Northwest Colorado artists who love what they do and want to showcase it. Many of the artists in the show are not represented at galleries in downtown Steamboat, so Art Barn is an opportunity to see what lies outside of the typical art scene. The works include a wide variety of pieces including Cherie Duty’s iconic work with encaustic (a mixture of beeswax and paint), Jennifer Baker’s creative glass layering and Dennis Lodwick’s repurposed woodworking, in which he uses beetle-kill pine to create art and practical objects. 

(Abstract Mixed Media on Panel by Missy Borden)

The list doesn’t stop there. The show also features ceramic, photography, watercolor, acrylic and graphite works from the talented hands and minds of Julie Anderson, Missy Borden, Gregory Block, Jennifer Lynn, Suzi Mitchell, Maggie Smith, Emmanuelle Vital and Noah Wetzel. There will also be a collaborative piece by the youth art and mental health group You Out Loud.

Artist Sophie Picking will be a senior at Steamboat Springs High School in the fall, and last year, she took AP Studio Art and displayed her work at their class show this past spring. The Art Barn will be her third show, but the first that isn’t part of school.

(by artist Suzi Mitchell) 

“I’m just so happy to have the opportunity to show my work and be around other artists,” says Sophie. “I’m starting to get out there, and it’s exciting.”

“It’s a great chance to bring seasoned artists together with those starting out with their art careers and be able to showcase so much talent within our valley,” Suzi says. “It’s this beautiful melting pot of creativity.”